Text insets

See how to use text insets and the Insets panel in Adobe FrameMaker.

A text inset is used to insert content from an external source into a FrameMaker document. The text inset feature of FrameMaker allows you to easily reuse text across documents and books. You can store such reusable content in an external document (such as a text file or FrameMaker document), and then import the content across one or more documents.

You import plain text from a text file or you can import text and formatted content from a FrameMaker document (.fm or .mif).

Use the Insets panel to work with text and graphic insets in your documents. From this panel, you can import insets into a document, view inset properties, or delete insets from a document.

Choose View > Panels > Insets, to open the Insets panel.

Figure 1. Insets panel
Inserting content from an external source into a FrameMaker document using the Insets panel

The Inset panel displays the list of insets in the current document.

To sort the list of insets, click a column header in the list. For example, you can sort by the referenced file or page number.

To resize a column:

  1. Hover the mouse between two columns until the cursor is a bi-directional arrow.

  2. Hold down the left mouse button, drag, and release the mouse button when the column is sized as required.

Use the Insets panel to:

A (Search text):

Search for an inset in the list. The SAYT (search as you type) functionality works on all the columns in the inset list.

B (Import New):

Import an inset into the current document. See Insert text insets.

C (Properties):

Open the Text Inset Properties dialog. See Viewing and editing inset properties.

D (Delete):

Delete the selected inset from the current document. See Deleting text insets.

E (Delete with Anchored Frame):

Delete the selected graphic inset (along with the anchored frame) from the current document.

F (Go to Location):

Go to the location where the text inset is included in the current document.

G (Convert to Text):

Convert the selected inset to inline text. See Viewing and editing inset properties.

H (Filter):

Select from the list of Document (Current, All Open Docs, or any open document), Type (List All, Text Insets, or Graphics Insets), or Status (resolved or unresolved) to display the insets available in that document.

See Fixing unresolved text insets.

I (Refresh):

Refresh the list.